What you said is true but often when you pay for a lawyer you're paying in part for their longstanding business relationship and non-business reputation with ev

What you said is true but often when you pay for a lawyer you're paying in part for their longstanding business relationship and non-business reputation with everyone else they have to do business with. Whether they know it or not the other party's lawyer, the DA, the Judge, the clerk at the courthouse, etc are more likely to (unconsciously) give favorable treatment to a lawyer with a name they recognize who's been working in that jurisdiction for 30yr, been bankrolling the local little league team for 20 and funding local politicians campaigns for 10 than he is with someone's who's just become a partner at a law firm that's only existed for a decade and isn't held in high regard by every other important person in the jurisdiction. People generally give people they know better treatment than people they don't. This effect is important for anyone who's job involves negotiation with other people in an industry without tons of turnover.